Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. A major contributing factor for pancreatic cancer’s high death rate is a lack of effective early detection or screening tests.

Early stage pancreatic cancer is primarily treated with surgery. However, only one-third of early stage pancreatic cancer patients in the U.S. are referred to a surgeon or a comprehensive cancer institute and undergo surgery.

Patrick Swayze, Luciano Pavarotti, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Steve Jobs. These are a few of the celebrities and public figures that have brought attention to pancreatic cancer over the years. Despite this public spotlight, pancreatic cancer is known as the silent killer.